Copy Controlled Blue Note CDs

[Shrdlu]

I just received a 2003 Blue Note CD, and it is "Copy Controlled". I remember that this drew a lot of ire when these CDs first appeared, and I was angry when I saw the CD.

Just what does this "control" control? I don't want to burn a copy of this CD,  but I went through the motions on my computer, and it worked fine. The disk plays on my CD player.

It seems to be the same as a normal CD.

[Dub Modal]

Supposed to control digital ripping but most software was more advanced than what was put on the CD, or there was a work around back in that day. I'd say there's likely some audio "watermarking" present if you listen closely, but maybe not. 

[Daniel A]

Just from memory, some digital errors were purposefully introduced that would be overcome by the default error correction circuit of any audio CD player, but supposedly would confuse the ripping software of a computer. It didn't sound like a good concept to begin with, and as it were, some ripping software was able to overcome the "protection". I have never seen any reports that there was any audible artifacts from the protection, but that is not to say there couldn't be any.

I believe that these discs were not allowed to be labeled as "Compact Discs" as they deviated from the standard. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by Daniel A

[porcy62]

41 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

Just from memory, some digital errors were purposefully introduced that would be overcome by the default error correction circuit of any audio CD player, but supposedly would confuse the ripping software of a computer. It didn't sound like a good concept to begin with, and as it were, some ripping software was able to overcome the "protection". I have never seen any reports that there was any audible artifacts from the protection, but that is not to say there couldn't be any.

I believe that these discs were not allowed to be labeled as "Compact Discs" as they deviated from the standard. 

My player couldn't read some of those, so I ripped them in order to play on cdplayer, funny.

[Shrdlu]

Thanks.

Anyway, the CD sounds fine. It makes what Flanders and Swann would call "a cheerful sound".

If there are embedded whatevers, I am blissfully unaware of them.

[JSngry]

I feel that way about the microchips in my salad dressing.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I thought the copy-controlled CDs that stirred up all of the trouble were those that had a rootkit on them? All you had to do copy them was turn off Autoplay on your PC so the rootkit didn't install. There may have even been a lawsuit over that one...

Edit to add: it was Sony CDs that did this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal

[Shrdlu]

According to that article, when one of these CDs is inserted into a computer, it installs malware. Grrr. That is scandalous. How could the Blue Note owners participate in that?

So far, my computer is acting normally. 

[JSngry]

Which is exactly how it wants you to think it is acting.

[mikeweil]

1 hour ago, Shrdlu said:

According to that article, when one of these CDs is inserted into a computer, it installs malware. Grrr. That is scandalous. How could the Blue Note owners participate in that?

So far, my computer is acting normally. 

Antivirus intact? Any up to date antivirus software should detect any malware on the CD.

That said, I never had any playback or sound problems with these discs. OTOH I never tried to rip one.

[Gheorghe]

I remember in the early 2000´s I also ordered a batch of RVG´s but the sound quality was quite a mess, they were not as good from sound as the early RVGs. 

The strange thing is: When I was younger, I didn´t mind bad sound quality. Now that my hearing is quite bad and conversation is not easy if more people talk at the same time, I listen much more closely to the music and don´t play it as loud as I did when I was younger. 

[romualdo]

On 07/12/2021 at 0:43 AM, Shrdlu said:

I just received a 2003 Blue Note CD, and it is "Copy Controlled". I remember that this drew a lot of ire when these CDs first appeared, and I was angry when I saw the CD.

Just what does this "control" control? I don't want to burn a copy of this CD,  but I went through the motions on my computer, and it worked fine. The disk plays on my CD player.

It seems to be the same as a normal CD.

none of those "Copy Controlled" CDs (only have a handful) were a problem on any of my Mac computers. Wasn't the software on the discs aimed purely at PCs?

[Shrdlu]

I don't know.

Anyway, my computer survived its insertion.